UTSA Establishing Itself as a Tier One University

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is on its way to becoming a Tier One university, which designates that a university has been nationally recognized for excellence in academics and research. Economists estimate that Tier One universities generate 334 new jobs and add $8.6 million in wages for every $10 million in research expenditures.

Within the past year, the University has received seven rankings and recognitions ranging from being recognized for creating two of the top Master’s degree programs worldwide: the MBA Real Estate Finance program and the MBA Tourism Destination Development program and as having the best engineering programs for Hispanics.

In February 2014, UTSA earned the top spot for best cybersecurity program in the nation, according to Computerworld. In April of this year, UTSA was recognized by Times Higher Education for the third year as one of the Top 100 universities under 50 years old. UTSA was founded in 1969. Only eight U.S. universities were recognized on the list that based its rankings on research, citations, teaching, international outlook and industry income.

There are only three Tier One institutions in Texas: The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University and Rice University. Steady growth in the state’s student population supports a case for more Tier One designations for Texas. In 2009, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 51, which recognized the state’s need for more Tier One universities. After the bill was passed, the Texas Higher Education Coordination Board (THECB) identified seven state universities (called emerging research universities) that have the momentum and the potential to become Tier One, and UTSA was one of the seven.

UTSA has developed a strategic plan to secure the top-tier recognition which could result in job growth, research advancement and a stronger skilled workforce for San Antonio. UTSA has begun the process of implementing its strategic plan to align its programs and services in order to improve graduation rates and learning outcomes. While UTSA has already generated more than $1.2 billion in revenue and currently supports thousands of jobs, the university’s plan to become a Tier One institution will only help to further strengthen the economy for both the city and the state, creating opportunities for local corporations.